Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-02-23
Mlistellameuns &eading.
GIST'S BRIGADE AT FRANKLIN.
[Frona the Ne,rs and Courier.

From the Ners and C0ur'ier.]
Mr.. D. P. Smith, of the Inquirer pub
fishes in the Philadelphia Times an ac-
count of the battle of Franklin, Tern., in
which Gen. Gist, of South Carolina fell.
He mentioned Gen. Gist and his brigade,
but failed to mention them where men,
tion was due. It was an omission which
was caused by his want of informa-
ton of what was done by the troops of
other commands than those of his own
corps, and he has written to Gen. Capers
very frankly acknowledging it, and pub
lished the following in the Times:
The Rev. Ellison Capers, of South Caro-
lima, who commanded the 24th South Car
olina volunteers of Gist's brigade of Caro-
linians and Georgians at Franklin, calls
my attention to an unintentional iDjus-
tice done Gist's brigade in my account of
the battle of Franklin. In SO brief an
article it was impossible to mention the
gallant deeds of every command, but Gen.
Gist's South Carolinians and Georgians,
who charged side by side with the heroic
Gordon, should have received more notice.
The Oath South Carolina regiment captur-
ed the flag of the 9th Ohio and held it
until November 80, 1885, the twentieth
anniversary of the battle, when it was cour-
teously returned to the brave men who
lost it. Gen. Gist and every field officer
of the brigade fell in the grand charge,
and at the close of the battle the brigade
was commanded by captain of one of
the companies.
The division to which Gist's brigade
belonged (Cheatham's) was commanded at
Franklin by the gallant John G. Brown, of
Tennessee, who with his four brigadiers,
was put hors de combat on the memora-
BILE day. Strahl, GiSt and Carter were
killed. Gordon charged into the town
and was captured, and Brown, the major
general, was severely wounded.
I'D. P. SMITH"
In letter to the Ne,os and Courier, Gen.
Capers writes as follows:
it place, and make mention of Gen. Gist's
gallant death, falling in advance of his
brigade while leading the assault with
his accustomed GOODNESS in battle. The
last saw of him in the field was just be-
fore we encountered the full fire of the
batteries. He rode down our line, and
returning / kissed my hand to him as he
passed me. Frank Trenholm, and gal
liant courier named Nallon, were with
him. He waved his hat to US, and in re-
sponse to the cheer the men gave him
said: Il know the Oath will do its duty
to-day He gallopped on to the right and
was soon lost in the smoke of battle, and I
never saw him again; for, though his
body was brought to the hospital that
night my wound prevented me from see
ing the manly form of my friend and gal
liant commander. Lieutenant Colonel Jes-
sc Jones, of Colleton, the lieutenant colonel
of the oath S. G.. ", was dying of his
wound on the same bed with me, and sew
eral of the men, and for few moments
we all forgot poor Jones' sufferings, when
he wrote on piece of paper his sense of
our loss in Gen. Gists death. Col. Jones
was wounded in the throat, the ball pass
ing down the trachea. He was leading
the right wing of the oath when he fell.
"COlletOn sent no more faithful son to
the field than Jesse Jones. have always
thought the tribute he paid to Gist was
the highest manifestation of respect. He
could not speak, and was sufferine the ag-
onies of slow strangulation, and yet, when
Capt. Gardner, of the Generals staff, came
in to tell us that his body was in the yard,
Jones' eyes filled with tears, and he sat
up and wrote a few words, expressive of
his love for Gist and our loss in his death.
"Poor fellow! after suffering excruciat-
ing pain for forty-eight hours he died in
peace, and was buried near our General
near the field where he fell.
81 mention these facts for your informa-
tion, my object being to honor the memo
ry of the gallant dead, and to claim for
Gist's brigade at Franklin full share of
honor due to the Army of Tennessee on
that memorable day."